William Shakespeare Quotes About Wit

• I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed!

  William Shakespeare

  Sarcastic, Witty, Funny Life

• Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.

  William Shakespeare

  Cute, Witty, Fools Day

  'Twelfth Night' (1601) act 1, sc. 5, l. [37]

• I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.

  William Shakespeare

  Believe, Doe, Beef

  'Twelfth Night' (1601) act 1, sc. 3, l. [90]

• There's many a man hath more hair than wit.

  William Shakespeare

  Men, Hair, Wit

  "The Two Gentlemen of Verona".

• My father's wit, and my mother's tongue, assist me!

  William Shakespeare

  Mother, Father, Parent

  William Shakespeare (1805). “The Plays of William Shakespeare: Accurately Printed from the Text of the Corrected Copy Left by George Steevens: With a Series of Engravings, from Original Designs of Henry Fusell, and a Selection of Explanatory and Historical Notes”, p.407

• I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was.

  William Shakespeare

  Dream, Past, Men

  'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595-6) act 4, sc. 1, l. [211]

• The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

  William Shakespeare

  Funny, Inspiration, Law

  'Henry VI, Part 2' (1592) act 4, sc. 2, l. [73]

• Brevity is the soul of wit.

  William Shakespeare

  Inspirational, Attitude, Communication

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 2, sc. 2, l. 90

• The dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits.

  William Shakespeare

  Fool, You Like It, Wit

  William Shakespeare, Juliet Dusinberre (2006). “As You Like It: Third Series”, p.163, Cengage Learning EMEA

• He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.

  William Shakespeare

  Horse, Use, Fool

  'As You Like It' (1599) act 5, sc. 4, l. [112]

• Have you not a moist eye, a dry hand, a yellow cheek, a white beard, a decreasing leg, an increasing belly? Is not your voice broken, your wind short, your chin double, your wit single, and every part about you blasted with antiquity?

  William Shakespeare

  Time, Eye, Hands

  'Henry IV, Part 2' (1597) act 1, sc. 2, l. [206]

• For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech, To stir men's blood: I only speak right on; I tell you that which you yourselves do know.

  William Shakespeare

  Men, Blood, Boredom

  'Julius Caesar' (1599) act 3, sc. 2, l. [225]

• Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce!

  William Shakespeare

  Wicked, Charity, Beast

  William Shakespeare (2001). “Hamlet”, p.100, Classic Books Company

• Some grief shows much of love, But much of grief shows still some want of wit.

  William Shakespeare

  Grief, Want, Juliet

  William Shakespeare (1829). “Dramatic Works: Printed from the Text of the Corrected Copies of Steevens and Malone”, p.780

• Great men may jest with saints; 'tis wit in them; But, in the less foul profanation.

  William Shakespeare

  Men, Saint, May

  'Measure for Measure' (1604) act 2, sc. 2, l. 127

• What a pretty thing man is when he goes in his doublet and hose and leaves off his wit!

  William Shakespeare

  Love You, Men, Pretty Things

  William Shakespeare (1793). “The Plays of William Shakspeare: In Fifteen Volumes. With the Corrections and Illustrations of Various Commentators. To which are Added, Notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The Fourth Edition. Revised and Augmented (with a Glossarial Index) by the Editor of Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays”, p.532

• I love thee so, that, maugre all thy pride,
  Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide.
  Do not extort thy reasons from this clause,
  For that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause
  But rather reason thus with reason fetter,
  Love sought is good, but given unsought better.

  William Shakespeare

  Love You, Passion, Pride

  1601 Olivia.Twelfth Night, act 3, sc.1, l.154.

• Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits.

  William Shakespeare

  Home, Memorable, Youth

  'The Two Gentlemen Of Verona' (1592-3) act 1, sc. 1, l. 2

• Beauty, wit,
  High birth, vigour of bone, desert in service,
  Love, friendship, charity, are subjects all
  To envious and calumniating time.

  William Shakespeare

  Love, Time, Desert

  'Troilus And Cressida' (1602) act 3, sc. 3, l. 171

• Methinks sometimes I have no more wit than a Christian or an ordinary man has; but I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.

  William Shakespeare

  Christian, Believe, Men

  'Twelfth Night' (1601) act 1, sc. 3, l. [90]

• Hast any philosophy in thee shepherd? .• • • • . . . He that wants money, means and content, is without three good friends; that the property of rain is to wet and fire to burn; that good pasture makes fat sheep, and a great cause of the night is lack of the sun; that he that hath learned no wit by nature nor art may complain of good breeding or comes of a very dull kindred.

  William Shakespeare

  Friendship, Art, Philosophy

  William Shakespeare (1820). “Select Plays of William Shakespeare: In Six Volumes. With the Corrections & Illustrations of Various Commentators. To which are Added, Notes”, p.66

• A good old man, sir. He will be talking. As they say, when the age is in, the wit is out.

  William Shakespeare

  Men, Talking, Age

  'Much Ado About Nothing' (1598-9) act 3, sc. 5, l. [36]

• If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit,
  The one's for use, the other useth it.

  William Shakespeare

  Wise, Use, Fairness

  William Shakespeare (2014). “Othello: Third Series”, p.171, Bloomsbury Publishing

• Methinks sometimes I have no more wit than a Christian.

  William Shakespeare

  Christian, Religion, Atheism

  'Twelfth Night' (1601) act 1, sc. 3, l. [90]

• Well, in that hit you miss. She'll not be hit With Cupid's arrow. She hath Dian's wit, And, in strong proff of chastity well armed, From Love's weak childish bow she lives uncharmed. She will not stay the siege of loving terms, Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes, Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold. O, she is rich in beauty; only poor That, when she dies, with dies her store. Act 1,Scene 1, lines 180-197

  William Shakespeare

  Strong, Eye, Arrows

  William Shakespeare (2000). “Romeo and Juliet”, Oxford University Press on Demand

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